According to Dan Rafael of espn.com a tremendous bout between Light Heavyweight champion Chad Dawson & Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward is being worked on for the fall.

“We have two fighters in their primes, two lineal champions. I think it’s a great fight. You just don’t get it in our sport too often,” Said Ward’s promoter Dan Goossen told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Two champions facing one another allows the winner to go out there and continue his climb to superstardom. That’s what this fight is about. We need more of this in boxing. In boxing we want the big fights and it’s very seldom you can have two world champions willing to face each other in their primes.”

“Our intent is to have it for Andre’s super middleweight championship,” Goossen said. “I still have a few things to close up with (Dawson’s Promoter) Gary Shaw. Gary and I have had good conversations and we’re moving in the direction to making this fight happen.”

“Chad has never ducked anyone and I believe the fight will get made,” Shaw told ESPN.com. “It’s going to be a great fight, a very interesting matchup between the best American fighters in their divisions. We want it very much as we want to fight the best. Dawson has fought all the top fighters at 175 pounds — Antonio Tarver (twice), Glen Johnson (twice), Bernard Hopkins (twice) and Adrian Diaconu — and we have a score to settle with Jean Pascal.” Pascal handed Dawson his lone defeat.

“Atlantic City just had a great turnout for Dawson-(Bernard) Hopkins and I believe we could get 19,000 at Oracle Arena,” Goossen said. “So I am partial to Oakland.”

“I am ready to fight the best 168- and 175-pounders that are out there,” Ward told ESPN.com in a recent interview. “At this point, a big fight at 175 is interesting to me. I don’t want to go up just to go up. But for the right fight, for a big fight, I would go up. I’m willing to fight anyone at ’68 or ’75.”

“Ward-Dawson will be on HBO and we’re looking forward to it,” Goossen said. “It’s kind of a homecoming in a lot of ways, including working with Ken (Hershman).”

“Unlike in the tournament, where we had everything lined up for the next challenge, we were looking for something that was big after the tournament,” he said. “We were looking at the winner of Hopkins-Dawson. With Chad being the winner, we put our attention there.

“I know some people are surprised we are going for this fight, but in Andre’s career we have done things that have surprised people from the beginning. In his 20th fight we put him in the tournament and out of the box he was facing (titleholder Mikkel) Kessler and people said, ‘What are you, nuts?’ We try to push the envelope and try to do things bigger than people anticipate.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com has confirmed that WBA/WBC Super Middleweight champion ANdre ward has been named the 2011 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

“I want to thank God for giving me the strength to put in the work year after year to get to this point. I also want to thank my manager, James Prince, my promoters Antonio Leonard and Dan Goossen, everyone who is a part of Team Ward, as well as all of my family, friends, and loyal fans who have been behind me all these years,” Ward, 27, of Oakland, Calif., said. “This award is just as much for them as it is for me.

“Even in the midst of receiving this tremendous award, Team Ward is not going to let up. In 2012 and beyond we’re going to push forward and, God-willing, we can be considered for these awards every year. It’s easy to get comfortable at a time like this, but I can assure everybody that I’m going to continue to put in the work to be the best that I can be. I’m going to stay humble, keep God first and, with that, the best is yet to come.

Ward, who was also named ESPN.com fighter of the year, won the award over nominees Nonito Donaire, Wladimir Klitschko, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I’m very proud of all of what he has accomplished since the day we signed him,” said Goossen, who has promoted Ward for his entire career. “He’s been a joy to work with and a tremendous fighter inside the ring. It’s been a great ride, but the irony of it all is I think we’ve just begun. There’s a lot more to accomplish and showcase with Andre. You don’t have an athlete like this that comes around too often in the history of our sport. He has the fabric and makeup of the great ones. I just think he’s headed for greatness.”

Ward will have familiar company when he receives his award. Virgil Hunter, who has trained Ward since he picked up gloves as a boy, won the Futch award for trainer of the year.

“I’m very happy for my trainer and Godfather, Virgil, for winning this prestigious award,” Ward said. “I’m probably more excited for him than I am for myself. I’ve always wanted him to win this award because he is one of the hardest working trainers in the game.”

Said Goossen, “As proud of Andre as I am, I am equally proud to see Virgil get something I believe he is due. He’s a different breed of trainer. From the fundamentals to the mental aspect, he is right there with the best.”

Junior middleweights Delvin Rodriguez and Pawel Wolak will share the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier award for fight of the year. Their first bout, which headlined on ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” on July 15 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, was a rousing all-action slugfest that ended in a majority draw. Many view it as the best fight in the history of “Friday Night Fights” and it will be remembered as an intense battle during which Wolak fought through massive swelling that closed his right eye.

A year ends with memories of those who are gone, optimism for those who are emerging and hope for those who are back. There are lessons from unresolved controversies and controversy that never ends. Farewell Joe Frazier, Genaro Hernandez, Ron Lyle, Henry Cooper, George Benton, Nick Charles and George Kimball. It won’t be the same without you. Hello Andre Ward, Nonito Donaire, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Seth Mitchell, James Kirkland, Gary Russell Jr. and Jose Benavidez Jr. You’re the future.

Those new calendars in the mail are an empty canvas. Opinions and predictions are as irresistible as they are frivolous and about as forgettable as graffiti. Here are a few – the good, the bad and the tongue-in-cheek. But, first, a warning. For anybody who takes any of them seriously, remember that I picked Alfredo Angulo to beat Kirkland, who got up from a first-round knockdown and made the prediction game look foolish with a sixth-round stoppage.

Now, a look at what might – and might not — unfold:

Opinion: There’s a better chance of Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather in 2012 than there is of a fourth fight between Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao-Marquez IV would look a lot like II and III. What’s the point? It would end in just another noisy controversy about who won. Fair or not, Marquez’ legacy rests on the brilliant way he made Pacquiao look beatable. In subtle adjustments from round-to-round last November, he forced Pacquiao to hesitate and think. It was enough to prevent Pacquiao, an instinctive fighter, from establishing a rhythm. Allow Pacquiao to get on a roll, and there’s no stopping him.

Prediction: Marquez, who keeps his promises, retires

Opinion: Somebody needs to convince Mayweather that his 90-day jail sentence on reduced charges for his role in domestic abuse is a chance to think about a legacy he has put in jeopardy. If he stays out of trouble and vows to devote the next few years to his evident talent, he still can achieve the respect he always believes has been denied him. That respect isn’t an entitlement. It’s won by fighting through adversity. For the first time in his career, he is facing some that he can’t trash-talk or side step. It’s the biggest fight of his life.

Prediction: Mayweather beats Lamont Peterson three months after his release.

Opinion: Mayweather advisor Al Haymon is the elusive powerbroker, whose influence is there, yet hard to quantify. There is power, perhaps, in the mystery. Mayweather has called the publicity-shy Haymon “The Ghost.’’

Prediction: Ghosts will get quoted more often than Haymon.

Opinion: Pacquiao will have to restore some lost confidence after getting a majority decision over Marquez in fight he halting called “not so happy.’’ He also has to find a way to solve troublesome leg cramps, which he says affected him in victories over Shane Mosley and Marquez. The fractured confidence should be easy enough to repair for the Filipino Congressman and lieutenant colonel. But the cramping is another issue. It might be a sign, an early symptom, of a fighter one step past his prime.

Prediction: Pacquiao beats Tim Bradley, then Miguel Cotto in a rematch and gets promoted to major general.

Opinion: World Boxing Council chief Jose Sulaiman is issuing statements and clarifications faster than interim titles. This time, he’s trying to say he didn’t really mean to tell the Filipino media that “beating a lady … it is not a major sin or crime.” In a subsequent statement, he said that he “developed female boxing.’’ Memo to women who hold one of the WBC’s lime-green belts: Do what Riddick Bowe did in 1992 and dump it in the nearest garbage can.

Prediction: Sulaiman will say something stupid.

Opinion: We’re just beginning to see how good Ward can be. With news that he beat a Carl Froch with a left hand fractured in two places, we’re also beginning to see how tough he is. A reported audience of fewer than 500,000 watched his victory on Dec. 17 over Froch in Showtime’s final of the Super Six Tournament. That was disappointing.

Prediction: After the hand heals, he’ll win two in 2012, pushing his record to 27-0. This time, more than 500,000 will watch his patient, yet sure path to pound-for-pound contention.

Opinion: Questions loom as to whether Canelo-Chavez Jr., will ever happen because Chavez Jr. a junior-middleweight, is said to be at about 180 pounds at opening bell. If Chavez Jr. is too heavy for Canelo, he’s too heavy for Miguel Cotto. The weight issue might force Chavez Jr. into a fight with Sergio Martinez late in 2012.

Prediction: Martinez wins a late-round stoppage.

Opinion: People close to Antonio Margarito have urged him to retire. Even if his surgically-repaired eye can withstand further punches, the tissue around it cannot. After years of sustained punishment, it doesn’t take much for it to lacerate and swell. That was evident early in his loss on Dec. 3 to Cotto.

Prediction: A defiant Margarito continues to fight, bleed and lose in Mexico.

Opinion: Referees struggled throughout 2011 to get it right. Russell Mora missed 11 low blows in Abner Mares’ first victory over Joseph Agbeko. Joe Cortez was looking away, toward the timekeeper, when Mayweather dropped Victor Ortiz, whose hands were down and his eyes on Cortez. Joe Cooper took two points from Amir Khan for pushing off Peterson. If Cooper warned Khan, it was only evident after careful review of the tape long after Khan’s loss on the scorecards was announced. Cooper’s penalties were the difference.

Prediction: More instant replay. It works in the NFL. Nobody has a tougher job than boxing’s lone ref. Let technology be his ally.

Opinion: Top Rank and Golden Boy, Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya, will continue to exchange insults instead of letting their respective fighters exchange punches.

Prediction: A year from now, we’ll be talking about whether Pacquiao-Mayweather will happen in 2013.

On a perfect evening in the ring, a night when American Andre Ward and Englishman Carl Froch both were able to make their very best fight, Ward would win. The only circumstance under which Froch could prevail, then, is an off-night for Ward. Froch realized this Saturday, and it razed his spirit. It meant no matter his willfulness or tenacity, he was not the world’s best super middleweight.

Such broken-spiritedness tempered by stubborn professionalism is what Froch showed the waning moments of his match with Ward at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Saturday, in the championship of the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward prevailed, of course, by unanimous scores of 118-110, 115-113 and 115-113.

My card concurred with the judges’: 117-113. I scored rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 12 for Ward. I scored rounds 5, 9 and 11 for Froch. And I had rounds 7 and 10 even.

Ward won the fight. Nothing said this more eloquently than Froch’s face when the final bell sounded. Froch was a beaten, disappointed, proud man who had been given the opportunity he’d awaited his entire career and learned he was not great as he’d hoped. That two judges had the fight decided by a single round was just, insofar as the round went Ward’s way. Three scores of 115-113 for Ward would have been no problem; a draw or decision for Froch would have been unfortunate.

“I was actually surprised by how slow Froch was,” Ward said after the fight.

There are lots of old sayings in boxing, clichés we call “sayings” to spare their speakers, and one is that you cannot teach speed. But you can teach a fighter to offset another’s speed – as Juan Manuel Marquez thrice proved against Manny Pacquiao – with practice, timing and introspection. Yes, introspection. You cannot teach a fighter to offset another’s speed till he admits the other man is faster.

Such an admission Froch’s camp never drew from their man in training camp. Froch, who calls himself “The Cobra,” did not believe Ward, with his shorter frame, could get his left fist to Froch’s face quickly as Froch could do the same to Ward. It was a miscalculation born of Froch’s hubris, hubris that has taken him much farther in prizefighting than any but his familiars predicted.

That Ward realized he was faster than Froch for every instant of the match’s opening nine minutes cannot be disputed. What Ward chose to do with that advantage, though, is what makes him unique among undefeated American fighters. Ward went inside. Leading 3-0 after the first quarter, Ward went for Froch’s heart. He put himself on Froch’s chest and tried to break the larger man’s body the way he’d already cracked his spirit. It didn’t work – Froch was still there with three rounds to go, and gaining speed too – but it was a hell of a noble idea on Ward’s part.

Did Ward tire late because he lacked conditioning? No. Ward tired in the closing rounds because Steve Smoger did a job that should be shown at referee clinics round the world. Referee Smoger watched Ward and Froch tangle their limbs in the match’s opening seconds and didn’t break them. He stood well back and said resolve your differences like men and prizefighters.

There was something splendid about Smoger’s inactivity. His silence told Ward and Froch that if they were to lunge at one another gracelessly and tie themselves in a knot, he would not be the one to work their ways out of it. The choice then became: Expend energy pulling your arms from between the opponent’s elbow and ribcage, or catch his head and shoulder and free fist in your face.

In the fight’s opening half, Froch was discomfited by Smoger’s inactivity, drooping his arms behind Ward’s back, looking frantically over and round Ward’s bobbing head. In the later rounds, it was Ward, unable to retreat or set traps behind a late-arriving southpaw stance, who wanted Smoger’s help. But Smoger did not intervene, and Ward had to earn his victory by winning the final round. As it should be.

“He was too close,” Froch said about Ward’s attack. “Or he was too far out of range.”

If Froch’s countenance in the moment of the final bell was the fight’s most eloquent commentary, that line above is a close runner-up. It is the very definition of championship prizefighting. Ward made Froch uncomfortable by doing nothing how Froch wanted him to, for 36 minutes, on the largest stage of his career.

Perhaps Ward is not inspiring to an impoverished nation the way Pacquiao is. Certainly Ward is not provocative as Floyd Mayweather. But if the path to greatness is a long and anfractuous one, Ward has yet to step off it. In a moment of quiet contemplation, that is, can you think of a fighter who is likely to have a greater body of work in the next decade than Andre Ward?

Ah, but Boardwalk Hall was damn quiet while your future legend practiced on Froch! Yes, how unfortunate. It allowed cynics to look at Ward-Froch, a consequential fight between highly regarded tacticians in an empty American arena, and see an ironical bookend to a year that began in Pontiac Silverdome. If Ward-Froch deserves a pass, it is because the match was a made-by-television event.

But the Super Six is over, and Showtime, as the super middleweight division’s de facto sanctioning body, needs to set a new course. A venue for Andre Ward versus Canada’s Lucian Bute, a fight the network is now obliged to make, should be chosen thusly: Whoever bids the lowest licensing-fee-to-live-gate ratio. Tie promoters’ compensation to their ability to make live crowds, and see what happens.

Prizefighting is not the Super Bowl. The idea of neutral venues has proved asinine. Ward-Bute must happen in Oakland or Montreal, not Atlantic City or Las Vegas.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Follow all the action LIVE from ringside as Andre Ward and Carl Froch battle for the WBA/WBC/Ring Magazine and Super 6 World Boxing Classic Championships.   The action starts at 9pm eastern/6pm in Oakland and 2 am Sunday Morning in the United Kingdom

12 Rounds–WBA/WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–ANDRE WARD (23-0, 14 KO’S) VS CARL FROCH (28-1, 20 KO’S)

ROUND 1: Ward lands a jab…Froch lands a jab..Trading body shots…Ward jabbing to the chest…10-9 Ward

Round 2 Ward lands a left hook on the inside..double jab..short left hook…Froch lands an uppercut and a jab..Ward lands a left hook…Right lands a lright to the body..Froch 2 body shots…Hard hook from Ward…And another good left hook at the bell 20-18 Ward

Round 3 Ward jabbing to the body..Double left hook..jab to the body..Froch lands a left..Froch lands a right to the body..left hook..Ward lands a jab that back Froch up..nice left hook...30-27 Ward

Round 4 Ward lands an uppercut..Nice right..double right…Ward working the right..Body…40-36 Ward

Round 5 Ward lands a left hook hurts Froch…Right hand/left hook…Froch missing shots…Froch lands a nice jab…2 left hooks by Froch…50-45 Ward

Round 6 Ward jabbing to the body…Double left hook..Froch lands a left…hard left hook on the ropes…counter left hook backs up Froch…60-54 Ward

Round 7 Wardx lands a left uppercut…Straight right..lead left hook..uppercut..lands a right…70-63 Ward

Round 8 Ward lands a big right..Looping right…right…body…Froch lands a right after the bell…80-72 Ward

Round 9 Froch lands a combination..Left hook from ward..Froch lands a jab…..89-82 Ward

Round 10 Ward lands a jab..Froch lands a body shot..Ward lands a lead left hook..Ward shoe shines to the body..left to the head…99-91 Ward

Round 11Good left from Froch…108-101 Ward

Round 12 Froch lands a nice combination…Ward lands a left hook…another left hook..Left hook…118-110 Ward

118-110; 115-113; 115-113 WARD

Reasons for the many controversies of 2011 are plentiful. Pick one. Pick a handful. In part, however, it appears to be symptomatic of a passing generation. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have only each other to fight and nobody seems to know today anything more than they did two years ago about whether that will ever happen. The bad blood of the last few years is getting old and tired. Maybe, it’s time to just move on to another name, a fresh face for the sagging game.

Andre Ward has the look of somebody who could fill that frame, although his chances of doing so hinge in large part on his Super Six finale Saturday night against dangerous Carl Froch in the climax of Showtime’s super-middleweight tournament.

Ward has been hanging around the fringes of the pound-for-pound debate for at least a year. Depending on the ranking, Ward is in the second five, poised to make a real claim on a spot that Pacquiao and Mayweather have exchanged, argued over, yet never fought for. Maybe, they will fight in 2012. Yeah, maybe Donald Trump and Barack Obama will be running mates.

No matter what does or doesn’t transpire, Ward figures to do what he has always done: Stay busy in the proud, workmanlike fashion of a personality that often sounds aloof, yet remains thoroughly intriguing for a consistency defined by 14 years without a loss, amateur and pro.

Luck? Maybe But everybody gets blindsided once, twice or thrice over the course of nearly a decade-and-a-half. There are cheap shots, head butts, unseen punches and judges who see what they want to see. Ward has managed to beat them all. If you’re seeking luck, buy a lotto ticket. Ward seeks victory with an unerring eye for detail.

There have been questions about whether he will be able to deal with Froch’s strength, especially on the inside where the Brit is lethal. But Ward trainer Virgil Hunter counters that the 2004 Olympic gold medalist knows how to fighht in the physical, head-banging style he might encounter Saturday in Atlantic City.
“Before Andre was a boxer he was a fighter,” said Hunter, who predicts Ward will win by knockout. “He would fight his way to victory. If you’re going to win a gold medal in the Olympics, you’re going to have to adapt to the amateur and point system and learn to win that way. He’s had to adapt through training and repetition. But the fighting never left him. And I think that is one thing that surprises people about his fighting ability.

“Carl has said Andre hasn’t fought in any exciting fights. Well, it takes two to make an exciting fight. When one guy is dominating, it’s not going to be exciting. When you’ve got two guys busting each other up beside the head, yes, from the fans’ perspective and the media’s perspective, that’s exciting. His fighting ability has always been there. The power of that fighting ability is that he knows when to use that strength against you and he knows when to use his opponents’ strength against him. That’s what makes up Andre.’’

Translation: There’s a lot more to Ward than anybody, even Froch, knows. At the Athens Olympics, few saw him on the Games’ final day when he won America’s only gold. Media and fans already were gathered at the Stadium for closing ceremonies when he stood on the victory stand’s top pedestal. Britain’s Amir Khan, the Game’s designated star, had already won silver. The international media had moved on or gone home. Even promoters didn’t seem to care much. Ward signed for a reported $100,000. Twelve years earlier, gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya signed for seven figures.

Ward’s patient emergence since then might help restore value to Olympic gold. Ward has never said so, but the absence of big offers in 2004 was valuable for the motivation. Repeatedly, Ward talks about how he fights to prove people wrong. He personalizes it without demonizing his critics.

“You don’t just win these types of fights; you’ve got to take them,’’ Ward says in a tone that includes a lesson about respect.

Mayweather cries about getting enough of it; Ward commands it.

But Ward’s search for it starts with the fighter he sees every day, staring back at him from the mirror, while he shadow-boxes. Respect is just a meaningless golden oldie if not preceded by self.

“I’ve set out from day one to do things that I’ve been raised to do,’’ Ward said. “I’m not going to change for anybody. I’m going to be myself. You’d be surprised how many people outside of boxing have come up to me and said, ‘Hey, I appreciate the way you carry yourself. I’m going to have my son or daughter look to you as an example.’ That kind of stuff right there means a lot more to mean than gaining a few more fans or writers saying, ‘Hey, this guy is crazy and we love him.’

“If you look at a guy like Ricardo Mayorga, for example, he was a shooting star. He came in and made some noise. Then, he was gone. People take shots at him and say he’s ignorant. Then when you have a fighter who comes in and tries to carry himself the right way — not as a front or an act but just has a clean lifestyle, then that’s not accepted either.’’

Years from now, Ward says he wants his family to remember a fighter who makes them proud.

“When it’s all said and done, my children are going to look back on my career and I want to be able to point to my career and say, ‘Follow your dad. Do it the way he did it,’ ‘’ Ward said. “Once this is all done and I hang them up, the legacy that is there will be there forever. So that more important to me than a few pats on the back or for people to say you’re exciting outside of the ring.

“When you tell people you’re a fighter, they expect you to be ignorant and to act a certain way.’’

But not Ward, who has his own expectations and perhaps his own way at a pound-for-pound shuffle.

AZ Notes
The last fighter to beat Ward was Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales. They were both 14-years-old then. Gonzales, who was known then as Ernie, was considered a better prospect than Ward, who once said he’s like to avenge the loss. The once-beaten Gonzales, who struggles to find fights, would love to give him that chance.

Phoenix junior-welterweight prospect Jose Benavidez Jr. continues to feel some pain in his right wrist, which was strained on Nov. 12 in a victory on the undercard of Pacquiao’s controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. But the lingering pain is not expected to keep from the main event on Feb. 3 at Wild Horse Pass Resort & Casino in Chandler. The card was formally announced Wednesday at a news conference in downtown Phoenix.

And Showdown Promotions and Top Rank are planning a ShoBox card on March 9 for Casino del Sol in Tucson. The card promises to be one of several in an Arizona market that is on the rebound since the immigration controversy over proposed state legislation, SB1070, subsides.

Former 140 pound world champion Paulie Malignaggi talks Khan – Peterson; Froch-Ward and and a possible title shoy againsy Vyacheslav Sanchenko

There is a conditional clause still in place on the Boxing Writers Association of America’s 2011 ballot for Fighter of the Year. It reads: “Winner Ward-Froch.” That box already has my checkmark. If Andre Ward beats Carl Froch Saturday, he will be the 2011 Fighter of the Year. If Froch prevails, he will win the honor. If there’s a draw, I’ll vote for both of them.

The BWAA does not have a Fighter of the Last Two Years category, but if it did, the winner of Froch-Ward would deserve that honor too.

Whichever man wins Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City – to claim Showtime’s inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic championship – will have done something unprecedented among modern prizefighters at the championship level. He will have spent two years in the same weight class with five equals and outlasted each of them. The winner of Ward-Froch will have accomplished more in the years 2009-2011 than Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather combined.

That is something to consider when the eulogistic throat-clearing grows this week. As every treatment of Saturday’s final begins with “After two years of cancellations and postponements and withdrawals, when the ill-conceived Super Six finally, finally, finally crowns a winner . . .” you’ll be well advised to ignore it. Anyone who watches Saturday already knows the Super Six’s history and is familiar with the misfortunes that visited the tournament. He also knows the two men fighting for its title are original members who’ve outlasted all comers.

It demeans what Froch and Ward have done to dwell on those who made questionable withdrawals from the Super Six. Those three men – the Americans Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell, and the Dane Mikkel Kessler – are all either back in the prizefighting ring or planning a return. Their withdrawals, then, should be treated as simple eliminations.

Since neither of the replacement fighters brought in on short notice made his way to the finals, we needn’t dwell either on Jamaican Glen Johnson or American Allan Green.

That leaves Armenian Arthur Abraham, whose legacy as an indestructible force suffered mightily in his matches with Froch and Ward. For having made it to every match he was assigned, though, Abraham retains the respect of aficionados who appreciate what durability he showed.

Durability, after all, proved to be the tournament’s most important quality. At the beginning of the Super Six, who thought England’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch would be a finalist? And whatever handful of Brits that was got halved after Froch’s odd victory over Dirrell. Yet, here he is – unbowed if still unheralded.

While the more heralded Brit Amir Khan, to choose a timely example, was beating up light-hitting Paulie Malignaggi and running from Marcos Maidana, Froch chased the reluctant Dirrell and made one of the best fights of 2010 with Kessler – a scrap brutal enough to eliminate Kessler from the Super Six. While Khan was blowing through someone named Paul McCloskey and a spent Zab Judah, Froch outboxed Abraham and outworked Johnson. And while Khan was making his tangle-footed retreat from an 8-1 underdog named Lamont Peterson on Saturday, Froch was readying to go chest-to-chest with a fighter every bit special as he is.

For American Andre “S.O.G. (Son of God)” Ward is now a proven-to-be-special entity. Or as Ward recently put it, “I won an Olympic gold medal and am undefeated in 23 fights as a professional, so we must be doing something right.”

Compare that dignity to the brashness young Floyd Mayweather, an Olympic bronze medalist, exhibited in 2000, when he was 23-0. Within that delta, actually, lies part of the charm of Saturday’s fight: It does not play to stereotypes.

Froch, the light-skinned European, is the flamboyant one in Saturday’s match. He is the man likely to drop his hands and show-up an opponent. Froch is the one who does not hesitate to discuss his hypothetical greatness.

Ward, meanwhile, the black American from Oakland, is the soft-spoken, serious man in Saturday’s finals. He cares little how he looks while winning. Ward is the one who employs measured language, comporting himself as a picture of accountability.

This was clearest in Showtime’s recent “Staredown” program. Though unoriginal in a copyright-infringement kind of way, “Staredown” nevertheless proved much better than the recent HBO spectacle of a Puerto Rican speaking English to a Mexican. For being in their native language at least, Froch and Ward offered revelatory tidbits and were much better than cliché-tossing avatars.

Ward surprised Froch by candidly saying he was hurt in his seventh professional fight by Darnell Boone, a man whose name Froch could not recall but Ward quickly did. Froch then surprised Ward by agreeing that having one’s chin compared to granite – as Froch’s now is – is often the result of poor choices.

Then Froch inadvertently predicted the likely outcome of Saturday’s match.

“I’m telling you now, categorically, you cannot render me unconscious,” Froch said. “I can knock you out with either hand.”

Both men believe that. Ward is quite certain Froch can knock him out. He also knows a knockout of Froch is improbable. And that is why Ward will probably win the Super Six championship.

Ward will not relent. He will not come off Froch’s chest. He will not rely on a punch to change the fight’s path but hundreds of punches. He will not be prone to mental lapses – like what Froch suffered after staggering Kessler – and he will not wonder if his attire befits the world’s best super middleweight, the way such considerations seem occasionally to wrap gauze round Froch’s otherwise clear thinking.

There’s no telling how this match will end. Everything everyone has predicted about this tournament has been wrong often enough for every prognosticator to be humbled.

That written, I’ll take Ward, SD-12, and be certain Saturday’s winner is Fighter of the Last Two Years.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Witness all the drama surrounding WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward and his sparring injury that forced the postponement of the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final. which captures Ward in his gym in Oakland and joins the champ on his urgent trip to Los Angeles to meet world-renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace and learn the extent of his injury.

NEW YORK (Sept. 27, 2011) – The Super Six World Boxing Classic Final between super middleweight world champions Andre Ward and Carl Froch has been rescheduled for Saturday, Dec. 17 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The SHOWTIME® telecast will air LIVE at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast). The announcement was made jointly today by Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, Froch’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME Sports®.

The fight, originally scheduled for Oct. 29 at Boardwalk Hall, was postponed late last week after Ward sustained a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22. (Photos attached by FIGHT CAMP 360)

Tickets for the fight are currently on sale at the Boardwalk Hall box office or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at ticketmaster.com. All tickets purchased for the original event date will be honored on Dec. 17. If ticket holders are not able to attend on Dec. 17, refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Tickets are priced at $300, $200, $100 and $50 with the non-televised undercard beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Matchroom Sport and Antonio Leonard Promotions, in association with Caesars Atlantic City and sponsored by Corona.

The live Super Six World Boxing Classic Final will lead into the live STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts (MMA) telecast headlined by STRIKEFORCE Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez defending his title against Jorge Masvidal and the return of Cris Cyborg at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT, on SHOWTIME (delayed on the West Coast).

PROGRAMING NOTES: With a new date for the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final, SHOWTIME Sports® has altered the network’s schedule of programing leading up to the highly anticipated match between super middleweight champions Andre Ward and Carl Froch.

– The next episode of FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside the Super Six World Boxing Classic has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®, immediately following Inside the NFL.

– A FIGHT CAMP 360°: Bonus Feature will reveal the drama surrounding the sparring cut that forced Andre Ward to postpone the Final. The short-form program will air on SHOWTIME in the immediate future. Scheduling information will be released in the coming days.

– Staredown: Ward vs. Froch – An intimate confrontation between the Super Six Finalists, moderated by Emmy® Award-winning reporter Jim Gray, has been rescheduled to follow the Dec. 3 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast headlined by Abner Mares vs. Joseph Agbeko II.

# # #

Photo Captions:
Ward Cut – Super Six Finalist Andre Ward suffered a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22, postponing the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final scheduled for Oct. 29 on SHOWTIME. After sustaining the cut at his gym in Oakland, Calif., Ward immediately flew to Los Angeles where, pictured here, he awaited medical attention.

Ward Stitched – World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward shortly after receiving seven stitches from leading plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace in Los Angeles to close a cut above his right eye.

Ward Bloody Towel – Trainer Virgil Hunter applies pressure to the bloodied eye of 168-pound champion Andre Ward who suffered a cut during a sparring session at his Bay Area gym on Thursday, Sept. 22.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

NEW YORK (Sept. 23, 2011) – Andre Ward, the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and Super Six finalist, sustained a cut above his right eye during a sparring session on Thursday, Sept. 22. As a result, the Super Six World Boxing Classic Tournament Final and world title unification fight with fellow Finalist and WBC World Champion Carl Froch has been postponed. The announcement was made jointly today by Ward’s promoter, Dan Goossen of Goossen Tutor Promotions, Froch’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, and Ken Hershman of SHOWTIME Sports®.

The Final was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29 in Atlantic City, NJ. The promoters and Hershman are working together to identify a new date for the significant matchup.

The SHOWTIME Sports documentary film crew FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic was filming for the next episodes of the acclaimed series at the time of the incident at Ward’s gym in Oakland, Calif. The camera crew joined Ward on an impromptu flight from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, where Ward received seven stitches from leading plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Wallace to close the cut. Ward was informed by Wallace that he would be unable to fight as scheduled on October 29 and that he will remove the stitches next Thursday, Sept. 29. The next episode of FIGHT CAMP 360° is scheduled for Oct. 8, 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME®.

Ward said: “I’m extremely disappointed about this cut. We used every precaution, including headgear with a face bar and it was just a fluke situation. My sparring partner and I were involved in an exchange inside and the next thing I knew, I was bleeding. That is the most frustrating thing about this—I don’t have an explanation for how it happened.

“This is very frustrating for my camp and I, and I knew that if the shoe was on the other foot and Froch suffered an injury, I would be extremely disappointed.

“We were in full camp and counting down the days until October 29. At this point, I’m looking forward to healing up and getting a new date to finish what I started and become the Super Six Champion.”

Ward continued, “I’d like to express my apologies to SHOWTIME, the fans and the Froch camp, but this is part of boxing. Ward and Froch will still get it on but, unfortunately, the date just has to be pushed back.”

“This is absurd and unprofessional. Ward needs to get his act together,” said Froch shortly after hearing the news. “Of course, you’ve got to take the medical advice seriously, but for a cut to put you out of a fight a full five weeks before the event is ludicrous. If it were two weeks out from the fight, maybe I’d understand. But he’s got 35 days to deal with it. To me, he’s showing his weakness. Nothing changes for me. I’ll be ready if and when he shows up.”

“Not much you can say,” said Goossen. “Andre was cut, he got stitched up, and he’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Injuries in boxing are inevitable at this, the highest level of competition,” said Hershman, the man behind the groundbreaking tournament. “As we’ve done since this tournament’s inception, we’ll forge ahead. We are seeking available dates at this time and hope to have an announcement shortly. Rest assured, we will deliver this dramatic final tournament bout, one that is surely the biggest fight in this division’s history.”

Said Hearn, “Obviously it is frustrating. Carl’s camp has gone perfectly and we were ready to unify the titles on October 29. Carl is in the shape of his life but he is a true professional and will take this in his stride and be ready for victory on a date given in 2011.”

# # #

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

15rounds.com Claudia Bocanegra was on hand in New York City to capture the images at the press conference to announce the much anticipated fights of the year between WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward and WBC champ Carl Froch which will be the finals of the Showtime Super 6 tournament on October 29th in Atlantic City

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward talks about his October 29 Super 6 Final showdown with WBC Champ Carl Froch

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch discusses his Super 6 final Unification bout with WBA champion Andre Ward on October 29

Promoter Dan Goossen talks about the October 29 showdown between Andre Ward and Carl Froch plus updates Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson and Chris Arreola

Andre Ward and Carl Froch meet the media in New York City to discuss their October 29th Super 6 Final fight that will take place in Atlantic City

ESPN’s Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra, will close out the 2011 season from Hammond, Ind. on August 19 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3.com when undefeated junior middleweight Demetrius Andrade (13-0, 9 KOs) and Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer (28-12, 16 KOs) meet in the 10-round main event. The card is presented by Banner Promotions/HITZ Boxing.

Joe Tessitore and Andre Ward, Ring Magazine’s No.1 ranked super-middleweight, will be ringside at the Horseshoe Casino describing the action, while studio host Brian Kenny will present the latest boxing news. Ward, a 2004 Olympic Gold medalist, who will meet Carl Froch in the Super Six World Boxing Classic in late October, is sitting in for Teddy Atlas who is in Russia training Alexander Povetkin.

Andrade, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Providence RI., is coming off a second-round knockout win over Omar Bell. After the fight ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael wrote, “It was business as usual as he (Andrade) dominated the first round and then ended it in the second. He caught Bell with a left hand to the body and Bell went down. Although he didn’t look too hurt, Bell got to a knee and took the full count from the referee at 1 minute, 31 seconds.”

Lawton Okla.’s Brewer, 2006 winner of The Contender, is coming off a June fourth-round TKO win over previously undefeated Fernando Guerrero.

After the fight Rafael wrote, “Brewer took care of another highly touted youngster in shocking fashion. He pounded Guerrero with clean right hands and uppercuts, finally sending him falling through the ropes onto the ring apron for a knockdown. Guerrero made it to his feet, but he was done. As soon as the fight resumed, Brewer was all over him again. He continued to pound him with body shots and uppercuts until Guerrero finally slumped forward and fell to the mat. A stunning finish that ranks up there with any of the biggest upsets of the year.”

Friday’s card will also feature former lightweight titlist David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) and “Hammerin’ ” Hank Lundy (20-1-1, 10 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature. Chicago’s Diaz, is coming off a 10-round majority decision win over Rob Frankel, while Philadelphia’s Lundy is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Patrick Lopez.

NEW YORK (July 18, 2011) – The stakes couldn’t be higher, the drama more intense. On Saturday, Oct. 29, two confident reigning world champions–one from America, the other from Europe–will collide in the eagerly awaited Super Six World Boxing Classic Final, a World Championship Unification, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the historic Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

When the Super Six began, neither undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs), of Oakland, Calif., nor his World Boxing Council (WBC) counterpart, Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs), of Nottingham, England, were among the favorites.

But through career-defining fights and remarkable drama both in and out of the ring, Ward and Froch have persevered and emerged as prominent members of boxing’s exclusive Pound-for-Pound list and are now poised for global stardom.

The Super Six World Boxing Classic was conceived by Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®, to match the best fighters in a deep, talent-laden division in a series of fights to see who would come out on top. Now, Ward and Froch are just one victory away from earning the distinction of being the undisputed No. 1 super middleweight in the world.

“I can’t think of two more deserving men than Andre and Carl to represent this tournament in the Final with a chance for one of them to hoist high the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup,” said Hershman. “The two survived the gauntlet – fighting one elite athlete after another – and rightfully deserve the division’s top billing.

“The Super Six was created to determine the No. 1 super middleweight in the world through an arduous run of championship level fights, but more importantly, to sustain conversation and piqued interest in these boxers before, during and between fights. It is clear that we have delivered that and much more.”

The winner of the 12-rounder will claim super middleweight supremacy, both world championship belts, The Ring magazine championship and the coveted Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

“Going into a fight of this magnitude, I expect the toughest fight of my career,” said Ward.

Froch echoed Ward’s comments regarding the enormity of the Super Six Final. “Not only is it for two world titles, but it’s for the tournament trophy and The Ring belt is also on the line,” said the WBC champion. “It makes this the biggest and the most prestigious fight to happen for as far back as I can remember.

“This has been a fantastic tournament. It has produced some amazing fights in our division, fights that certainly would not have happened otherwise. For the Final, we have a great fight between two superior athletes.”

Ward said, “The Super Six has given me the opportunity to fight the best and, so far, I’ve been fortunate to beat the best. It’s also given me the chance to do what I’ve always wanted to do and that’s become undisputed champion. This fight brings me closer.

“I salute SHOWTIME and everyone involved for allowing me into this tournament. We’ve all put our nose to the ground, and we’re still standing and heading to a grand finale. I’m excited to be part of it.”

The last boxer from the United States to capture an Olympic Games gold medal, the six-foot one, 27-year-old Ward won the WBA belt by upsetting Super Six co-favorite Mikkel Kessler with an impressive 11th-round technical decision in Group Stage 1. Ward retained the crown with lopsided 12-round unanimous decisions over Allan Green, Sakio Bika and, most recently, Arthur Abraham (last May 14) in a Super Six Semifinal. Ward will be making his fourth defense against Froch.

Coming into the tournament off a 12th-round TKO over Jermain Taylor, Froch took a 12-round split decision over Andre Dirrell in Group Stage 1. The 33-year-old Froch then lost the WBC belt on a close decision to Kessler in a thrilling Fight of the Year candidate in Group Stage 2, but regained it in his subsequent Super Six start when, after an eye injury sidelined Kessler and forced him to relinquish the belt, he masterfully outclassed a determined Abraham en route to a unanimous decision. Froch defended his strap and secured a berth in the Final with a convincing, hard-fought decision over Glen Johnson last June 4.

In what will be an intense, highly charged affair, Froch fully expects his power to be the difference.

“Ward is a boxer and mover who can be messy up close,’’ Froch said. “I can box when I need to and I have proven time and again that I can fight with the best of them. I have my natural fitness, a big heart, experience at the top level and the ability to take a punch.

“My punching power is far superior to Ward’s. This will prove to be the deciding factor.”

Style-wise, Froch compares Ward to an earlier Super Six victim, Dirrell. “They are similar,’’ Froch said. “Both can’t punch and both are frightened of getting hit hard.’’

It wouldn’t be a major fight involving Andre Ward without an upcoming opponent questioning his ability or legitimacy. Ward is accustomed to it. In some ways, he almost expects it and, up to now, thrives on it.

“I don’t think Froch gets the attention he deserves in his country so he tries to get it in the United States,’’ Ward said. “Fine, if it sells a few tickets. He’s certainly not the first to speak out against me and he won’t be the last. I think Froch likes to hear himself talk – except he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“My thoughts going into this fight are plain and simple: I want to retain the WBA belt, win the WBC belt and The Ring belt and bring home that Super Six hardware. I’m a pro and locked in on that and being one of the best in the world. Froch can dominate through his tabloids; all I want is to dominate the night of the fight. What he must understand is it looks totally different on the inside of those ropes than the way it looks on the outside.

“But Froch is absolutely right (about my elusive style),” said Ward. “I don’t get paid to get hit. It’s not my job. I was taught right away not to get hit or take unnecessary punishment. I’m not in it to be Fight of the Year; I’m in it to be Fighter of the Year.”

The event is promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, Antonio Leonard Productions and Matchroom Sport in association with Caesars Atlantic City.

Dan Goossen, of Goossen Tutor stated, “Words alone don’t do justice to describe the talent, inside and outside the ring, of Andre Ward. Outside, he is someone you want to hug and admire because of his gentleman like qualities. Inside the ropes it’s a completely different story. He is an ornery man you don’t want to mess with; a real fighter.”

“As for the SHOWTIME tournament format, it is one of the best things to happen in boxing for many, many years,” Goossen continued. “When you have the best fighting the best in every fight, it’s great for the fans and our sport. Believe me, nothing will stop Ward from beating Froch and capturing the inaugural Super Six Cup and catapulting himself to that next level.”

From Eddie Hearn, Managing Director, Matchroom Sport, ”Carl Froch epitomizes everything that is great about this sport. He puts everything on the line every time he enters the ring, in short he is the ultimate warrior. Beyond the steel determination is a sharp and bright mind who when linking up with his trainer Rob McCracken, can devise game plans to overcome anyone in this division. This is a huge fight. It’s the kind of fight that determines your legacy, a fight that you have worked your whole life towards. The Super Six Cup, two prestigious World title belts and The Ring magazine belt – Carl Froch will be Andre Ward’s worst nightmare on Oct. 29 and will NOT be denied.

“The Super Six has been a breath of fresh air in the sport of boxing. It’s almost like how boxing used to be – the best fight the best, forget the politics. It’s given us great fights, great drama and you couldn’t have a more fitting Final.”

“The history of boxing in Atlantic City is rich,” said Don Marrandino, President of Caesars AC. “Some of the greatest of all time have fought here including Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and, of course, Arturo Gatti. Our intent is to bring the biggest and the best boxing events back to our revitalized city. Andre Ward vs. Carl Froch in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Final is just that. I can’t wait for Oct. 29.”

Future announcements regarding the press tour, travel and ticket packages and tickets on sale date will be made shortly.

For more information on the Super Six World Boxing Classic including exclusive photos, fight highlights and interviews, plus to view all episodes of the acclaimed documentary series FIGHT CAMP 360°: Inside The Super Six World Boxing Classic, please visit the website at www.WorldBoxingClassic.com.

ABOUT SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC

The inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic is a ground-breaking, six-fighter tournament from SHOWTIME Sports® featuring the class of the super middleweight (168-pound) division from around the world. All bouts in the Super Six tournament will be contested under the Unified Rules of Boxing. Each boxer fights three bouts against different opponents in the field in the points-based Group Stage of competition (Win – 2 pts with a 1-pt bonus for KO/TKO; Loss – 0 pts; Draw – 1 pt.). After the Group Stage, the four fighters with the highest point totals will advance to the single-elimination Semifinals. The winners of the Semifinal bouts will advance to the Final and fight for the inaugural Super Six World Boxing Classic Cup.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, SHOWTIME 2 HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™ and FLIX ON DEMAND®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch talks to the media about his win over Glen Johnson and previews his clash With Andre Ward

WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward breaks down Carl Froch’s win over Glen Johnson plus previews his final round bout against Froch

Confidence, too often a bully’s mask or manufactured by insecurity, can sometimes be genuine. Thanks, Carl Froch. From Froch, it sounds like the real thing.

The British super-middleweight spoke during an international conference call Wednesday about his Super Six semifinal on June 4 against Glen Johnson with the self-assured tone of somebody certain of his destination. The scheduled 12 rounds on Showtime might prove to be bumpy, but Froch made it sound as if his victory was one segment in a longer trip. So buckle-up and enjoy the flight.

I’m not sure that Johnson won’t have plenty to say about where all of this is headed. For about 30 minutes, however, Froch had me convinced that it would end with him against Andre Ward in the finale of the longest tournament since the Thirty Years War.

The inevitable question was Ward, who already has secured his spot in the championship of the 168-pound tourney with his victory over Arthur Abraham. Froch could have passed on the question, of course. But he didn’t. I suspect the taciturn Ward would have, saying he would not think beyond the task at hand. But if the long view includes a destination that Froch sees as inevitable, hesitation could be interpreted as doubt. Froch has none.

“He’s got some skills,’’ Froch said, almost as if he knew he would be asked about Ward. “He’s an Olympic gold medalist, but having that doesn’t win world titles all the time and we’ve seen that recently. These top amateurs don’t always make top pros.

“He’s obviously won some great fights and he beat Mikkel Kessler. …But other than that, if you look at his record, I haven’t been too impressed with him as far as who he’s fought or how he’s won. Ward’s definitely a threat and someone I have to take seriously.

“But I know I can beat Ward. One thing he’s lacking is punching power. And that’s a big factor.”

Between him and Ward, there is Johnson, although Froch would have preferred Kessler, who accounts for his only loss.

“I would have rather fought Mikkel Kessler just purely for the revenge,” Froch said. “I’m a warrior myself. It’s a big thing for me to have lost that fight against Mikkel Kessler, because I’m serious about this business and that blemish on my record. I’d love to get that corrected before I retire. Someday after I hang them up, I want to be able to say I lost that decision to Kessler, but I won it back, that I avenged that defeat.’’

Froch voiced some deserved respect for Johnson, whom he called a war horse. At 42, however, Froch believes Johnson, a veteran light-heavyweight, will weaken himself in the battle to make weight.

“Going down to super-middle at his age is brutal,’’ Froch said.

Froch’s confidence also is rooted in a Johnson style that he believes will suit him. Johnson, he says, will be there, in front of him.

“The one thing about Glen Johnson is I don’t think I’ll have to go looking for him,’’ Froch said. “ I don’t think he’s going to be on his back foot looking to jab and pick me off. He doesn’t have the speed or the skill to match me. So, he’s going to come straight ahead.

“…I don’t think it would be wise for him to sit in front of me for too long. If he walks into me, he’s going to be taking on some shots. We’ll see how much the referee thinks he can take. It’s going to be brutal, if he keeps walking forward and taking shots.’’

Johnson scoffs at what Froch says of his style. Johnson says he is no Arthur Abraham, whom Froch defeated in the Super Six quarterfinals.

“People seem to think Abraham and I have a similar style,’’ he said. “We don’t. It’s not a valid comparison. That tells me that Carl Froch is not doing his homework. He’s in for a world of hurt.’’

Johnson also finds motivation in any talk about his age.

“I actually get excited when people mention my age, focus on my age,’’ Johnson said. “That means they are not focused on my skills and what I bring to the table.”

Johnson watched 46-year-old Bernard Hopkins win one against age with his historical victory for a light-heavyweight title in a unanimous decision over Jean Pascal. If Hopkins is Daddy Time Sr., Johnson has to be Father Time Jr.

For now.

If the Froch clock strikes with the inevitability he promises, that Jr. will soon turn into a Former.

Moving plans
Talks about moving Phoenix super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, rescheduled for July 8, against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs), to the Coyotes’ NHL home, Jobbing.com Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., are underway. Gonzales’ second bout in a hometown comeback had been set for early June at Celebrity Theatre in central Phoenix. But the date was rescheduled, in part because Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) needed more healing time for a cut suffered in a victory over Dhafir Smith on May 18.

The likely move to Jobbing.com might be the first of many for boxing as arena operators and the cities that own them scramble to fill dates that could be left vacant by NFL and NBA work stoppages.

Glendale has been embroiled in a protracted and expensive battle to keep the Coyotes from leaving for Canada. The Phoenix suburb faces an even deeper financial hit if the Cardinals don’t play at nearby University of Phoenix Stadium because of the ongoing standoff between NFL owners and players, who are arguing about lot more money than Manny Pacquiao has ever made.

If NFL millionaires can’t agree on how to divvy up billions, there’s been talk that the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito rematch could wind up at one of the league’s empty arenas, possibly Giants Stadium.
Notes, Quotes

· Any thoughts about a Margarito-Cotto rematch were on hold because Margarito had yet to heal from the nasty eye injury suffered in the one-sided loss to Pacquiao in Dallas last November. But hopes for a sequel to Margarito’s stunning upset of Cotto in 2008 were revived on May 19 when Margarito underwent cataract surgery.

· Just a guess, but former Eagles and current Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb probably wasn’t one of the 1.8 million who watched the HBO telecast of Hopkins-Pascal.

· Watching the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr. suffering a devastating, dangerous knockout at the unknown hands of Denis Lebedev in Moscow left me wondering when we’ll hear about plans for Jones-versus-Evander Holyfield.

· Surprising news about Oscar De La Hoya in rehab is an indication that maybe there was something to rumors he was considering a comeback. There had to be frustration in discovering he just couldn’t fight anymore. De La Hoya might have tried to drown his disappointment in substance abuse. He isn’t the first and won’t be the last, but he has already scored a victory in acknowledging the problem. Here’s wishing him the best.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBA Super Middleweight champion Andre Ward has re-signed with his co-promoters Goossen-Tutor and Antonio Leonard as well as re-inking a deal with manager James Prince.

“In Dan (Goossen), I have a very strong promoter, two promoters actually, Antonio Leonard and Dan, and a strong manager,” Ward said. “I have a great coach (Virgil Hunter), who has been with me from day one. We’ve got a strong foundation, strong stability and as we keep going to the top it’s only going to get stronger, and I am happy to say that we signed an extension to our promotional deal.

“I think it was pretty much a no brainer because not only is Dan a West Coast guy and so am I, but we have chemistry, and that’s big. So I am thankful for that today and I am proud to be announcing that news.”

“Andre is that special individual that has grown immensely inside the ring as well as outside of it,” Goossen said. “He’s someone that I am very proud to be associated with not only in business, but in life. He is somebody that shows the strength and gumption to go out there and talk the talk and walk the walk.”

Goossen said their agreement would have expired “near the end of the year.”

“Andre is a special young man because he’s a man of values and I just think he has all the talent in the world,” Goossen said. “It’s an exciting time for our company and for Andre.”

“I am living the dream right now by being a champion of the world to defend my title the way I have been defending it and just to have the team that I have behind me right now,” Ward said. “It’s a very strong team that doesn’t have a lot of problems in house and when it comes to boxing that is very rare. As a team, and as an individual, we are right where we need to be.”

Ward also signed an endorsement with Everlast.

“Andre Ward is the perfect brand ambassador for Everlast,” said Matt Cowan, vice president of marketing and products for Everlast. “He is a champion in every sense of the word . . . His accomplishments in the ring speak for themselves and aside from being a world class athlete, we consider Andre a world class human being.”

CARSON, CALIFORNIA–In the first Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-final, tournament favorite Andre Ward continued his unbeaten run through the competition with a decisive twelve-round decision over Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on Saturday night.

Abraham (32-3, 26 KOs) of Berlin, Germany by way of Yerevan, Armenia did have his moments in the early going. Ward (24-0, 14 KOs) of Oakland, California did not appear to be comfortable in rounds one and two. Abraham, 167, kept Ward, 168, out of his rhythm while making the former Olympian fight his fight.

The fight got rough and ugly in the third, as Abraham, the WBO #1/WBA #3 ranked super middleweight, got on the inside and smothered Ward. Not much was accomplished, but it was Abraham that landed the only clean blows in the round.

Incredibly after winning all of the first three rounds on this writer’s unofficial card, Abraham reverted back to his shell defense of previous fights to start the fourth. Slowly as the round progressed, Ward began to open up offensively, while Abraham remained defensive. Just before the end of the round, Ward began to break through Abraham’s guard. A heated exchange to close the fourth woke up the crowd.

Each fighter had their moments in a back-and-forth fifth. Two rights for Ward stunned Abraham. The Germany-based, Armenian-born crowd favorite managed to catch Ward while chasing the champion into a corner. After a warning from referee Luis Pabon for holding, Abraham landed a solid left near the end of the round.

In the sixth, Ward began to find a home for his one-two combinations. The jab forced Abraham to cover up, but Ward would place his follow-ups where he could find openings. Abraham’s body also became a more available target once Ward began utilizing his jab. Before round’s end, Ward landed a clean uppercut followed by a hard right hand. Again, Abraham just covered up and offered nothing in return.

Rounds seven, eight and nine were near mirror images of each other. Abraham remained defensive and Ward found success boxing and moving his hands. Not everything landed clean, but even when Ward hit Abraham’s gloves it took an effect on his face, which was hiding behind them. In the tenth, a now ultra-confident Ward turned southpaw for the longest stretch in the fight and pounded away at Abraham while facing no consequences.

After making little visible effort to win from the middle rounds of the fight, Abraham made a somewhat spirited attempt at making something happen in the final round. It would be far too little too late. Ward weathered the brief on rush was out in front again by the end of the round. The scoring was academic, as judge Ingo Barrabas had it 118-110, James Jen-Kin, 118-111, and judge Stanley Christodoulou, 120-108.

Given the large Armenian community in Southern California, Ward had the crowd against him for the first time in a long time Saturday night. It was something Ward, who has received criticism from pundits as well as opponents’ promoters for fighting at home in recent bouts, welcomed with open arms.

“I told people before, who said they thought he might have more fans, ‘He might have more fans but it’ll be fun.’ That’s what it was, because you have to prove you as a champion that you can win under different circumstances,” said Ward at the post-fight presser. “I know that I can perform under any circumstances, but it was good to let the people know I can perform under any circumstances.”

With the victory, Ward retained his WBA 168-pound title and moves on to the tournament finals where he will meet the winner of the June 4th clash between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson, which takes place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Froch is currently the WBC Super Middleweight ruler, and a unification bout is something Ward looks forward to. “I want that green belt,” said Ward, citing its historical relevance as the reason.

While Ward does not discount Johnson’s chances in the bout, he expects Froch to come out victorious and move into the finals. It is a fight that Ward eagerly anticipates, should it come to fruition. “He’s been calling for it,” said Ward of Froch. “We want to give the fans what they want. It is going to be an action-packed fight. It’ll be a live atmosphere like it was tonight.”

Chris Arreola (31-2, 27 KOs) of Riverside, California came in shape, but fought a risky fight en route to a third-round knockout over Nagy Aguilera (16-6, 11 KOs) of Newburgh, New York. Arreola, 234, landed a right hand that staggered Aguilera, 238, early in the first. With Aguilera in the ropes Arreola opened up, but left himself open to a right hand counter that looked good. But Arreola did not flinch and kept coming before rocking Aguilera again.

Arreola, the WBC #3/IBF #5/WBO #12/WBA #15 ranked heavyweight, worked over Aguilera again in the second, but the New Yorker remained game. Late in the second round Arreola went for the kayo, but ended up punching himself out. Aguilera took note of Arreola’s waning energy level and opened up himself to some success.

Arreola came out swinging and wobbled Aguilera with a right in the third. As the Riverside native unloaded a combination, referee Raul Caiz Jr. almost jumped in to stop the fight. However, Aguilera would fire a wild swing every time the stoppage looked eminent. When Arreola took a break and flurried again, Caiz decided Aguilera had taken enough. Right when Caiz leaped in, Aguilera fired a wild shot. While Aguilera was coherent and angry over the stoppage, Caiz made the right call. Time of the stoppage was 1:58 of round three.

Shawn Estrada (12-0, 11 KOs) of East Los Angeles, California did what he was supposed to in knocking out Joseph Gardner (7-3-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, Rhode Island early into round one. Estrada, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, was the much bigger man in the fight and it showed. Estrada, 174, landed a right hook, left hook combination to drop Gardner, 166, in the first round. The referee immediately waved off the bout at 1:27 of the first.

In Gardner’s two previous losses it took former world title challenger Elvin Ayala four full rounds to get a stoppage and prospect Vladine Biosse only managed a four-round decision. Given that information, Estrada’s performance looks pretty impressive on paper. However, much of the praise he would have received for outshining Gardner’s previous foes will not come due to the fact that Estrada, a middleweight as an Olympian, came in several pounds over the contracted weight on Friday. At the scales Estrada outweighed Gardner by eight pounds, a differential that was likely increased by first bell.

Goossen Tutor Promotions’ Javier Molina (6-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California scored a four-round unanimous decision over durable Danny Figueroa (3-2, 2 KOs) of Hastings, Minnesota. Molina, 148, was clearly the more technically sound boxer and used those skills to outbox the determined Figueroa, 148. After four-rounds, Molina, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, had scored a shutout on all three cards, 40-36. Molina will get a quick turnaround with a fight already scheduled for May 27th at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Molina is slated to take on David Lopez in a swing bout that may be his initial foray into the six-round scheduled distance.

Dominik Britsch (23-0, 8 KOs) of Neckarsulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany stopped Delray Raines (18-10-1, 13 KOs) of Paris, Arkansas in the fifth-round of a bout that was put together at the last possible minute. Britsch, who had his opponent switched several times in the last month, scored one knockdown each in the second thru fifth rounds. Most of them looked brutual enough to warrant the stoppage. The one that did it in the end was a right that sent the journeyman down in a heap. Referee Ray Balewicz had finally seen enough at 2:21 of the round.

Armen Ovsepyan (11-1, 9 KOs) knocked out Arturo Brambila (9-15, 4 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in the first round of a scheduled four-rounder. A two-punch combo started with the left dropped Brambila to the canvas and referee Raul Caiz Jr. opted not to begin a count. Time of the stoppage was 2:44 of the first.

Rising bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (6-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, Caifornia overpowered young journeyman Frank Gutierrez (2-10-2, 1 KO) of Highland, California in an impressive first-round knockout. Gutierrez, 118, was game us usual, but also outgunned as usual. Villanueva, 117, went swing for swing with Gutierrez before placing a blow that looked to catch the Highland resident behind the head. However, the referee ruled it a knockdown. It was quickly downhill from there, as another right knocked Gutierrez down and out. Official time of the stoppage was 2:56 of the first.

Andrey Klimov (11-0, 6 KOs) of Van Nuys, California by way of Klimovsk, Moscow, Russia scored the most impressive win of his young career with a third-round knockout of former prospect Ty Barnett (18-2-1, 12 KOs) of Washington, DC. Klimov, 137, was in control of the fight from the outset before putting Barnett, 135, down and out in the night’s opening bout. Official time of the stoppage was 1:12 of the third round.

Bowie Tupou (21-1, 16 KOs) of Los Angeles by way of Nuku’alofa, Tonga battled back from some tough early rounds to stop former world ranked contender Manuel Quezada (29-7, 18 KOs) of Wasco, California in the final bout of the evening.

After a feeling out first round, Quezada, 233, turned up his aggression and took control of the fight in the second. Quezada stuck Tupou, 245, with a hard left early in the round. The shot put Tupou against the ropes and set him up for a clean right. The series put Tupou in clinch mode, which helped him get out of trouble.

After winning the third close, Quezada was got caught by a suddenly wild Tupou in the fourth. One flurry forces the Wasco native to the ropes, but Quezada managed to avoid Tupou’s fiercest bombs. After a shaky fourth, Quezada battled back in the fifth and got the better of some heated exchanges.

The fight then turned against Quezada in the sixth, as Tupou suddenly discovered his right hand. After some hard shots upstairs, Tupou landed a combo to Quezada’s body that had the former contender bending at the waist. Another right to Quezada’s body seemed to score a knockdown for Tupou, but it was waved off as a slip by referee Jerry Cantu.

Further illustrating the fact that Tupou had really scored a knockdown in the sixth, Quezada was quickly in trouble after the start of the seventh. With “El Toro” against the ropes, Tupou landed a clean left to his face that forced Quezada to his knees. Stunned with a bloody and perhaps broken nose, Quezada failed to get up off of his knees and was counted out. Official time of the knockout, the most significant win of Tupou’s career to this point, was 53 seconds of the seventh.

Photos by Stephanie Trapp/trappfotos@gmail.com

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — The Super Six World Boxing Classic, boxing’s version of Survivor, enters its final stages tonight as tournament favorite Andre Ward defends his WBA Super Middleweight title against early tournament front-runner Arthur Abraham at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Fighters weighed in Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Los Angeles International Airport in nearby Los Angeles.

Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, California may be just two wins away from breaking through into the superstar realm of the sport. Entering the tournament, few of boxing’s so-called experts gave Ward much chance to upset Mikkel Kessler, much less win the entire tournament outright, running the table in the process as he has done thus far. Some may be quick to point out that, due to some early fighter fallouts, Ward has only faced one of the original Super Six in his three bouts since the tournament began.

However, Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) of Berlin, Germany by way of Yerevan, Armenia is not only one of the original tournament competitors, but entering the ground-breaking experiment, “King” Arthur was one of the co-favorites alongside Kessler. Abraham finds himself in a position he probably never envisioned. After putting Jermain Taylor’s career in doubt with a last minute stoppage, the former middleweight champion was completely outboxed by Andre Dirrell before he got himself disqualified in the eleventh. In his next outing, Abraham was again outboxed, this time even more one-sidedly by Carl Froch. Abraham, ultra-confident entering the tournament, was so down that his promoter arranged a confidence-building tune-up this past February in Germany. What Abraham gained from his second-round stoppage of an overmatched Stejepan Bozic remains to be seen.

Based on their recent body of work, Ward enters tonight’s contest an overwhelming favorite and the pick of many to win the entire tournament, regardless of who triumphs in the other semi-final between Froch and late tournament entry Glen Johnson. Abraham, who enters the bout the WBO #1/WBA #3 ranked super middleweight, has left some to question his viability as a 168-pound contender with his recent performances. Should Abraham pull of the upset tonight, his recent disappointments will be quickly forgotten. Ward scaled 168 Thursday, while Abraham came in at a fit 167-pounds.

Adding some ticket-buying incentive for the local fight fans, world class heavyweight Chris Arreola (30-2, 26 KOs) of Riverside, California will continue his rebuilding process in a ten-rounder against former upset artist Nagy Aguilera (16-5, 11 KOs) of Newburgh, New York.

Arreola, the WBC #3/IBF #5/WBO #12/WBA #15 ranked heavyweight, came in at a fit-and-trim 234, shocking many of his critics. Aguilera, whose name-making victory came over former champion Oleg Maskaev, came in at 238-pounds. A motivated Arreola figures to be a hard test for Aguilera to pass. Arreola, who has routinely showed up out of shape for much bigger fights, looks to be ready to make a statement and move on to bigger things once more.

Another local favorite looks to further endear himself to the Southern California faithful, as Shawn Estrada (11-0, 10 KOs) of East Los Angeles, California will take on Joseph Gardner (7-2-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, Rhode Island in a six-round super middleweight attraction. Estrada got his career back on track late last year and has looked impressive against a higher caliber of opponent in recent outings. Estrada, a 2008 U.S. Olympian, dominated once-beaten Jon Schmidt this past January and will look to do the same tonight against Gardner, who has only lost to quality opposition. Unfortunately any victory Estrada comes out with tonight will likely be diminished by the lack of professionalism he displayed by coming in well over the contracted weight Thursday. Estrada did not look to be in great condition as he scaled 174-pounds to Gardner’s 166-pounds.

Javier Molina (5-0, 4 KOs) of Norwalk, California signed a promotional agreement with Goossen Tutor Promotions at the same time his 2008 U.S. Olympic teammate Shawn Estrada did, but injuries have held Molina back at several instances in his brief career. Molina looks to accelerate his career path beginning tonight with a four-round welterweight bout against Danny Figueroa (3-1, 2 KOs) of Hastings, Minnesota. Should Molina, who scaled 148-pounds, come out unscathed, he is already scheduled to return to the ring May 27th in Reno, Nevada. Figueroa also came in at 148-pounds.

In an intriguing crossroads heavyweight clash, former world ranked contender Manuel Quezada (29-6, 18 KOs) of Wasco, California takes on untested hopeful Bowie Tupou (20-1, 15 KOs) in a ten-rounder. For tonight’s victor, big fights and big names could be right around the corner. Quezada, who is returning to the ring for the first time since a brave effort against Chris Arreola, came in at 233-pounds. Tupou, who has had a stop and start career to this point, came in at 245-pounds.

Rising bantamweight prospect Matt Villanueva (5-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, California will take on young journeyman Frank Gutierrez (2-9-2, 1 KO) of Highland, California in a four-round bout. Villanueva, who has impressed his fair share of boxing pundits in his five outings, weighed in at 117-pounds Thursday. Gutierrez, who has never been matched in an easy fight, came in at the 118-pound bantamweight division limit.

Armen Ovsepyan (10-1, 8 KOs) of Yerevan, Armenia will take on longtime journeyman Arturo Brambila (9-14, 4 KOs) of Phoenix, Arizona by way of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico in a four-round light middleweight fight. Ovsepyan, who will likely have a large and supportive Armenian crowd on hand, came in at 147 ¾-pounds on Thursday. Brambila, in the familiar role of opponent once again, scaled 149 ½-pounds at the weigh-in.

Ty Barnett (18-1-1, 12 KOs) of Washington, DC will test Andrey Klimov (10-0, 5 KOs) of Van Nuys, California by way of Klimovsk, Moscow, Russia in a six-round light welterweight bout. Barnett, who not too long ago was a well-regarded prospect himself, is by far the toughest for Klimov has shared a ring with since turning professional. Klimov, trained by Joe Goossen, came in at 137-pounds. Barnett, came in at the lightweight limit of 135.

For the last few weeks it looked as though Sauerland Event-promoted Dominik Britsch (22-0, 7 KOs) of Neckarsulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany would be left without an opponent tonight. Among the opponents that fell out were journeyman Ryan Davis and former title challenger Billy Lyell. Stepping in last minute for the six-round encounter is Delray Raines (18-9-1, 13 KOs) of Paris, Arkansas. Britsch came in at 168, while Raines came in at 167-pounds.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Super Middleweight Championship, 12 Rounds
Ward 168
Abraham 167

Heavyweights, 10 Rounds
Arreola 234
Aguilera 238

Super Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Estrada 174
Gardner 166

Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Molina 148 ¼
Figueroa 148

Heavyweights, 10 Rounds
Quezada 233
Tupou 245

Super Flyweights, 4 Rounds
Villanueva 117
Gutierrez 118

Light Middleweights, 4 Rounds
Ovsepyan 147 ¾
Brambila 149 ½

Light Welterweight, 4 Rounds
Barnett 135
Klimov 137

Super Middleweights, 6 Rounds
Britsch 168
Raines 167

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortega15rds@lycos.com

Former world title challenger Andre Dirrell took in a night at the fights Friday at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California. The fight Dirrell came to see was his brother’s, Anthony Dirrell, who moved to 21-0 with a win over journeyman Alberto Mercedes. Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs) of Flint, Michigan, who was forced to put his career on hold reportedly due to recurring neurological symptoms, told 15rounds.com he has been cleared to resume his boxing career. Dirrell also gives his take on the Andre Ward-Arhtur Abraham Super Six World Boxing Classic semi-final, which just happens to be taking place today.